San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-01

Carlisle, stumbling to his feet, labelled
This side upwardsl Valuable-with
carep So don't hustle off in that fash
ion, old girl, before you've given a fell
low kissl"
"Dick, Dick is it possibleY Mamma,
girls, Dick is herel Oh, you dear old
boy, we've been so terribly anxious all
the afternoon; we expected you hours
ago, and when you failed to appear, we
could but pray you had not started
lest you should be lost in the snowl"
But reinforcements had arrived from
within doors ere this peroration was
concluded. Dick ran a fair chance,
seemingly, of enduring death by stran-
gulation or suffocation after all, for no
sooner was his neck released from one
pair of soft feminine arms, than he
found himself embraced by another,
and Rugged with alarming ferocity.
"Hulloa, hulloal" quoth the CHEEKY
rector, as he emerged from his study
beyond, hearing joyous voices raised in
greeting in the hall; "do you mean to
smother the lad, Nellie, Edie, Katiep
seeing that he has had a narrow escape,
l take 1t, of perishing in snow-drift,
for Heavens sake spare him to enjoy
his Christmas plum-pudding once more,
at any rate. Dick, my boyl how are
your Come in, and let us close the
door"
But Dick explained that the Burn
ham carries had yet another precious
human parcel within their cart de-
manding even more careful delivery.
"Details anon, dear girls; l reserve
the history of my Christmas Ewes ad-
venture. The first thing to be done
now is to see to my late companion in
adversely, certain luckless cabby, who
has Jared even more disastrously than
1. Let us minister to his comfort, and
then-oh for the dear old fireside,
and a merry Christmas to you all, say
II"
Neither were Tom and Bill, the stur-
dy carriers, forgotten, the reader my be
hands in high glee, assuring one anoth-
er confidentially, under their breaths,
that they could but intreat high heaven
to send them ''mony moor jist such
Chrissermas Ewes, tn likes O. which,
tn way @ a job, had never been heerd
tell on afore"
The latter part Of which sentiment
those within the snug vicarage walls
very heartily re-echoed when Dick be-
gan to unfold his narrative" as he
phrased it, with duly important air,
seated in a luxurious armchair, with
his legs stretched out towards blazing
fire; one of 1.-THE girls" perched like at
tendant nymphs on either side, his
mother hastily brewing mulled claret at
the table, the vicar seated opposite,
wearing, if possible, on his rubicund
features even a more genial expression
than his wont.
Cabby had been previously housed in
the back kitchen, where Martha, with
Sarah James assistance, had made him
up luxurious impromptu bed, and, as
he had already shown signs of complete
recovery under combined influences of
warmth, ease and cOpiOus refreshment,
it is but fair to conclude that ere long
he too was treating the kitchen compa-
ny to differentiated probably highly
colored-version of the same facts
wherewith Dick was meanwhile regal
ing the affectionate circle gathered,
open-mouthed, around him in the coy
parlor beyond.
But at first only general outline of
the nights adventure was practicable,
for Dick was too exhausted, over-excit-
ed, and generally spent, to talk much,
or indeed do more than reply to third
Of the breathless questions poured
forth by the girls with remOrseless en-
ergy; but after supper, when he began
to feel like lion refreshed, he recon-
menced his story, and gave it with CO.
pious annotatiOns, the vicar declared,
smiling, albeit suspicious moisture
glistened meanwhile in the old mans
eye, for he could not fail to recognize
the terrible jeopardy in which the life
so inestimably precious to them all had
been placed throughout long hours,
scarce more than a stones throw from
their own door.